Sports in the Office: How to Make Sure You Have Your Bases Covered

By Tory Johnson, CEO of Women for Hire

The fact that sports has its own daily section in every major
newspaper tells you something about its significance in our
society, and it's an ideal icebreaker in many business
settings, especially when peers are unaware of any other common
ground.

Most businessmen follow some aspect of sports closely, and
they're passionate about it. As a woman in business you don't
have to follow every score, player, or stat, nor do sports
have to be your cup of tea, but you're likely to be perceived
as out of the loop if you don't know who won the World Series
or the Super Bowl. The benefits extend far beyond being on
the same playing field as men. Women today are actively
engaged in sports on all levels and have found a tremendous
amount of satisfaction from the spectator's side as well as
that of the participants, especially in golf, tennis,
cycling, and skiing. Becoming interested in sports is
exciting and invigorating. Plus, learning about sports allows
you the opportunity to understand a variety of games,
businesses, and passions. It connects you to people's
interests while also helping you to develop new hobbies and
interests of your own.

Jump-start your own game plan by developing a baseline level
of sports knowledge so that you can talk the talk and get
started. If a new colleague says he's from Massachusetts, you
can hit it off with him by asking if he's a Red Sox fan.
Similarly, if your local team is in the NBA play-offs,
there's no excuse not to be able to share in this excitement.

To ace the essentials of asking about a peer's or a
colleague's interest in sports without getting bogged down in
details, concentrate on a two-fold focus that includes both
local teams and national events:

Get to know your home turf. Make a habit of reading
the headlines in the sports pages every day or tuning in to
the sports segment of your local television or radio news
to learn how your local teams are performing. Be able to
name the football, basketball, and hockey teams in your
area in case you're asked about them. In addition to know
the star players, as a businessperson you'll want to pay
particular attention to leadership challenges or changes in
team ownership and coaching staffs.

Pay attention to the big leagues. There is a handful
of world and national sporting events that capture the
headlines and the interest of our country. Among the most
important to follow: the Super Bowl, the World Series, the
NBA finals, the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the Masters, the
Stanley Cup, and the Kentucky Derby. Focus on top
performers and any controversial calls.

While familiarity with these events requires dedicated
effort, the payoff can be enormous in terms of forging
meaningful business relationships. Knowledge of sports gives
you plenty of ways to grease the conversational wheels, and
you'll earn the respect of new colleagues, especially the
men, when you ask about their favorite teams. You'll also
feel better connected to individuals who are complete sports
fanatics. And the sporting world just might gain a brand-new
fan when you discover that it can be fun and enjoyable.

Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace
Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America. Connect with her
at www.womenforhire.com.

What should I do when I'm at the top of the pay range?
When your compa-ratio - the ratio of your pay to the market
rate for your job - significantly exceeds 100 percent, either
your employer is extremely generous, your job is in great
demand, or you are ready for a promotion.